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| The Deck "From the land of skyblue waaaterrrs..." For me - and for many "baby boomers" - this Hamm's Beer jingle immediately brings two things to mind: the beat of tom-toms, and the Hamm's Bear. Starting in the late 1950's, a series of animated commercials starring the hapless Hamm's Bear and his woodland friends were some of the cleverest advertising on television. The Bear, introduced in a sequel to a commercial in which a group of beavers beat tom-toms with their tails, became a hit with the public, and the beer's official "mascot." In 1968, Hamm's issued this advertising deck, featuring The Bear on the courts and joker. In many of the commercials he was shown playing sports, thus the sports theme of the deck. It's hard to imagine in today's post-Joe Camel world, a cute animated bear advertising an alcoholic beverage. But the Hamm's Bear remains a memory from my childhood which never fails to bring a smile. I can almost hear those tom-toms now... "... Hamm's the beer refreshing, Hamm's the beer refreshing, Haaaaaaam's!"
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| Where to Find the Deck This is one of those decks which appeals not only to playing-card collectors, but to collectors of breweriana (items associated with beer and breweries). This, coupled with the fact that the deck is now 30 years old, make for a deck you don't see every day. Check antique malls, and auctions of playing-card and breweriana societies.
| The Cards on Display A bowling Bear. It's hard to see in the scan, but the outfit is adorned with bowling pins, balls and scores. Other jacks in the deck are skiing, golfing, and playing hockey. The King of Clubs  The Bear as quarterback. Goalposts and scoreboards adorn the outfit. The other kings are fishing, and playing baseball and basketball. The Queen of Diamonds  The Bear sporting a blonde wig and playing croquet. Croquet balls and playing area are on the outfit. Other queens are a waterskiier, a tennis player and an archer (sports which in the 1960's were considered more "womanly"). The Ace of Spades  Showing the brewery's logo. The Joker  The Bear as a creative outfielder. The Card Back  The beer's logo and slogan, over a lake of - what else - sky-blue water.
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